Combination farm and garden tool handle.



W. R. HOLMES.

COMBINATION FARM AND GARDEN TOOL HANDLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1915.

1,169,46, Patented Ja11.25, 1916.

Attorney;

FFEQE WILLIE ROBERT HOLMES, OF LANSTNG, WEST VIRGINIA.

COMBINATION FARM AND GARDEN TOOL HANDLE.

icense.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIE ROBERT HOLMES, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lansing, in the county of Fayette and State of WestVirginia, have invented a new and useful Combination Farm and GardenTool Handle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to farm and garden tool handles and moreparticularly to that class in which the tool and handle are madedetachable.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool handle as mentionedwhich will readily and detachably hold various garden or farm tools insuch a manner as to obviate the accidental detachment of the same.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a detachable tool handleso constructed that its locking or securing member will, in conjunctionwith performing its locking function, also, assist in forcing the shankof such tool into the socket of the handle,

should suchaction become necessary due to '.he presence of sand or otherextraneous matter in the handle socket. v

A further object of the present invention is to provide a detachabletool handle of general improved construction, whereby the device will besimple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,practical, serviceable and efiicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiments in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of the inventiondepicting it holding a hoe. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe invention depicting it holding a hoe. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveView of the locking ferrule.

lln carrying out the invention, there is provided a cylindrical casinor-sleeve 1, having an axial cylindro-conoi a1 socket 2 formedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 25, 1916.

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,152.

in one end thereof, for the reception of the tapered terminal of anordinary hoe handle H. This handle H is secured to the casing or sleeve1 by means of a screw or other securing element 3.

Extending inwardly from the opposite end of the sleeve or casing 1, isan elongated cylindrical bore or recess 4 having formed at its outer enda plurality of diametrically opposed radial slots 5, the function ofwhich will be hereinafter disclosed. Communicating with the bore 4: is aradial bore or recess 6 terminating at the periphery of the casing 1 ina relatively shallow, longitudinal groove 7, having one end. thereofenlarged as indicated at 8.

Hingedly mounted in the recess 8, upon a pin 9, is a lever 10, which isprovided with an inwardly extending lug or projection 11, whichterminates in an abrupt shoulder 12. This lever when in its locked orclosed position, lies flush with the periphery of the casing 1, asshown. Mounted upon the casing 1, adjacent the lever 10, is a ferrule13, having diametrically opposed transwith an elongated cylindricalshank 16,

which is provided with a recess 17, which extends inwardly from theperiphery of the shank to define an abrupt shoulder 18. The

shank is also provided with a plurality of diametrically opposed radiallugs 19 to register with and be received by the recesses 5, when theshank 16 has been placed into the bore 4. Any form of garden or farmtool, such as a rake, hoe, weeder, fork, shovel and the like may beemployed with this handle by providing such tools with the proper shank.

In practical operation, the shank 16 of any desired garden or farm tool,is placed into the bore 4: of the casing 1, so that the lugs 19 engagethe recesses 5, at which time, the recess 17 is in alinement with theradial opening 6. To look the shank 16 in thebore 5, the lever 10 isswung inwardly so that its outer or free end passes through the slot 15formed in the ferrule 13, in order to cause the shoulder 12 of the lug11 to engage the shoulder 18 of the tool shank 16. At this point, theferrule 13 is oscillated sufficiently to cause the slot 15 tomovethrough an arc of approximately 90 to thereby effectively house or lookthe free end of the lever 10 between the ferrule 13 and groove 7. Now,the shank 16 of the tool is locked or secured .to the casing 1 againstlongitudinal or axial movement by the rigid engagement of the shoulder12 with the shoulder 18, and lug 19 with the slot or recess 5. The rigidengagement of the lug 19 with the slot or recess 5 also prevents anyrotary or lateral motion of the tool shank 16, therefore, the selectedgarden or farm tool is positively held by the adjustable tool handle toenable the complete tool to adequately perform its usual function.Should any difficulty be experienced in inserting the tool shank 16 intothe bore or recess 4, dueto the presence of sand or other extraneousmatter, such difficulty may be largely overcome by pressing inwardlyupon the free end of the lever 10, w'hichwill cause the shoulder 12 ofthe lever 10 to engage the shoulder 18 of the tool shank 16, providedthe shank has been previously inserted sufiiciently to allow suchengagement, after which any further inward-movement of the lever 10 willcause the shank to move farther into the bore 4:.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a handle member having a bore; atool shank fitted into the said bore; a lever hingedly secured to thehandle member and having a lug which is adapted to operably engage thesaid tool shank; a ferrule oscillatively mounted on the said handlemember for retaining the hinged lever in its locked posi- .said ferrulehas been oscillated so as to move the said slot into the path of travelof the free end of the hinged lever.

2. In a device of the character described,

a handle member having an axial bore; a tool shank fitted into the saidbore; means for holding the tool shank against rotation relative to thesaid handle member ;'=a transverse shoulder formed in the said toolshank; a lever hingedly secured to the said handle member and having alug adjacent its hinged end, which lug is adapted to engage the saidtransverse shoulder to lock the tool shank to the said handle member; aferruleoscillatively secured to the said handle member and adapted toengage the free end of the hinged lever to retain the 'said lever in itslocked position, said ferrule having a longitudinal slot formed thereinto allow the free end of the hinged lever to pass therethrough tounlocked position, when the ferrule has been oscillated so as to movethe said longitudinal slot into the path of travel of the free end ofthe hinged lever. I

3. In a device of the class described, a handle; a casing secured to thehandle, said casing having a relatively shallow elongated peripheralgroove, an axial bore extending inwardly from one end thereof and aradial recess communicating with both the groove and the bore, saidaxial bore communicating adjacent its open end, with a plurality ofradialslots; a lever hingedly secured to the cylindrical casing; anoutstanding lug secured to said lever; a shank having a tool securedthereto; a shoulder formed in one end of the shank, said shoulder to beoperably engaged by the outstanding lug of the lever; a'plurality ofradial lugs extending from the shank to operably engage the radial slotsof the casing; a ferrule having diametrically opposed transverselyelongated slots and a relatively broad longitudinal slot extendinginwardly from one end thereof; diametrically opposed radial pins securedto the cylindrical casing to operably engage the transversely elongatedslots of the ferrule to oscillatively secure the ferrule to thecylindrical casing, in order to permit the relatively broad longitudinalslot to be moved to and from registration with the free end of thelever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIE ROBERT HOLMES. Witnesses:

MARY E. THOMAS, LINNIE L. WHITE.

